While there are plenty of strategy games that allow the player to amass a gigantic army of no-name soldiers to charge into battle, there are also a few that take a much different approach by allowing the player to customize and edit their units before, and even during a game. Most strategy games will have pre-set factions that the player can choose from where they can upgrade and purchase units to take control over, but some developers made the bold idea of granting the player complete freedom to craft their own unique battalion of mechs, vehicles, and soldiers, exactly to their liking.

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Some RPGs let players go crazy with their customization options. These are by far the most impressive.

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Of course, for a strategy game to be considered fun and challenging, its core gameplay needs to be tight, focused, and strategic in its mechanics, but customization has also become a much more important factor over the years, and something that a lot of players have started looking out for when picking up a new game in the genre.

5 Forged Battalion

Players Can Create The Ultimate Army Of Hyper-Powered Machines In Forged Batallion

Army of robots shooting at an opposing force of units
  • Release Date: January 16, 2018
  • Developer: Petroglyph Games
  • Platforms: PC

It's pretty shocking just how much freedom Forged Battalion offers its players in terms of creating their own army. Upon choosing what soldiers, tanks, or aircraft the player wants to use, they'll then be able to tinker around with their appearance, weapons, and armor to create a unit that they like the look of. That's not all though, as there's also an option to create a custom HQ, along with crafting a devastating Super Weapon.

In order to acquire new customization options, players will need to work their way through the pretty lengthy Tech Tree which can be accessed in between the story mode missions, creating a nice and rewarding sense of progression. The core gameplay of Forged Battalion is incredibly fast-paced and fun, and the eight-player multiplayer is an absolute blast, especially when jumping in with a few friends. If that wasn't enough, there's also a fully-fledged map editor that allows players to design their very own battlefield to take for a spin online.

4 Metal Fatigue

Metal Fatigue Allows Players To Build The Mechs They Always Dreamed Of

Group of blue mechs
  • Release Date: July 31, 2000
  • Developer: Zono
  • Platforms: PC

Despite being over 20 years old at this point, Metal Fatigue is still a fan favorite among strategy lovers because of the sheer amount of customization it offers for its mech units, also known as "Combots" in the game. Every time the player finishes a mission in the story, which itself is very engaging and packed full of fun challenges, they'll be able to spend points to customize their very own mechs, which are the strongest units they'll be able to command in battle.

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Literally every part of these gigantic war machines can be switched out and altered, and while the player can acquire new parts with in-game currency, they're also able to rip pieces off other destroyed Combots which can then be attached to their own. This encourages players to explore the admittedly massive maps to see what rare equipment they can get their hands on in order to stand a better chance at taking on the dangerous alien forces who threaten humanity's existence in the story.

3 Warzone 2100

Warzone 2100 Revolutionized The RTS Genre With Its Innovative Customization Options At The Time

Three red, blue and silver tanks
  • Release Date: April 10, 1999
  • Developer: Pumpkin Studios
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation

Originally released back in 1999, Warzone 2100 was extremely innovative for the RTS genre at the time, partly because it placed a much bigger emphasis on vehicle combat as opposed to foot units, but also for its level of customization which had never really been seen before. The create-a-unit mechanic is actually very in-depth, with players being able to edit a vehicle's chassis, drive system, support tools, and plenty of other exciting options, but they will also need to keep the vehicle's total weight into account to ensure it doesn't feel too clunky in battle.

The game also features a layered and engaging story that is packed full of twists and revelations, and there's a nice mixture of missions with time limits that encourage fast-paced battles and those that don't have them, which allow for a more strategic approach. It seemed as though Warzone 2100 was going to fade into obscurity with the dissolution of the developers not long after its release, but thanks to the amazing support of the passionate fanbase, the game has stayed alive all these years, and can now be downloaded on Steam completely free of charge, so it's definitely worth a shot.

2 From The Depths

Create A Devastating War Machine To Rule Both The Air And Sea In From The Depths

Custom plane firing down at a giant war ship
  • Release Date: November 6, 2014
  • Developer: Brilliant Skies
  • Platforms: PC

From The Depths is without a doubt one of the most innovative and intriguing RTS titles to come out in the last few years, with the game allowing players to create their own units to rule the land, sea, and air. What really helps the game stand out, other than its very vibrant art style, is just how many customization options are on offer here, featuring over 1000 unique components that players can use to build their vehicle, whether it be a submarine, spaceship, plane, or even something entirely out of their imagination.

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Players will be able to take on other armies in the fairly difficult story mode where they will face off against eight unique factions, or if they just want to play around with the admittedly very addictive building mechanics, they can also simply jump into Creative to see what their mind can conjure up. There's even the option to build vehicles together in co-op, or even just play the entire campaign with a buddy.

1 Impossible Creatures

Players Are Given The Tools To Design An Army Of Hideous But Deadly Mutant Creatures When Jumping Into This Game

Modified creatures fighting one another in Impossible Creatures
  • Release Date: January 7, 2003
  • Developer: Relic Entertainment
  • Platforms: PC

Impossible Creatures may have been created by the developers behind the gritty Dawn of War and Company of Heroes series, but this game is as different from those titles as it can get in regard to aesthetics and tone. Players won't be editing tanks or foot soldiers in this game, but will instead be tasked with creating their very own "Impossible Creatures", which can be made by combining several different body parts from multiple animals to create something entirely different. These creatures may look very uncanny and even slightly creepy at times, but so long as they can dish out enough damage when going up against the enemy forces, then they'll be a welcome addition to any army.

The sheer amount of customization options on offer adds so much replayability to the game, especially since players are able to create their own weird armies offline before then taking them online to go up against whatever strange creations the opponent has conjured up. Weird, wacky, but so much fun, Impossible Creatures is a truly unique game that just never gets old .

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